In the noble estate of Mariegeois, Iggy ran with purpose.
Just moments after killing his own father, he had finally uncovered the truth—the true mastermind behind the tragedies was the Draco Patriarch.
Without hesitation, Iggy abandoned the Thorn family's corpses and retraced his steps, racing down the corridor back to the banquet hall.
"I have to kill him today!"
The banquet hall remained shrouded in darkness, eerily silent. There were no cries, no screams, no sounds of struggle.
The thick stench of blood lingering in the air confirmed what had taken place—an execution had unfolded here.
Iggy took a deep breath and activated his Observation Haki. Not a single living soul could be sensed in the entire hall.
"Damn it. That old bastard escaped during the chaos!"
Earlier, Iggy had infiltrated the hall during Warchel's birthday celebration. While the guests had let their guards down, he had cut the lights and struck first.
Using the confusion of darkness to his advantage, he assassinated Riprest's parents, then pursued the Thorn family.
It had been a swift and calculated strike. But when he stumbled upon the real truth, he realized he had let the true culprit slip through his fingers.
The cunning Draco Patriarch had used the lives of his in-laws, his son's family, and a host of guards to buy time and make his escape.
Iggy burst out of the banquet hall and scoured the estate, frantically searching for the patriarch.
Eventually, he reached the top floor of the manor's tower—where the family's highest authority resided.
But something felt off. As he pushed open the grand doors, the scene that met him made him frown.
The Draco Patriarch stood atop a tall mahogany platform, glaring down at Iggy like a monarch.
Flanking him were eight imposing figures in dark suits, their strength immediately apparent.
Lucci. Kaku. Jabra. Blueno. Kalifa. Kumadori. Fukurou. Spandam.
CP9 was all here.
"You did well to make it this far," the Draco Patriarch said coldly. "But this is where it ends."
He looked down at Iggy with grim satisfaction, as if the outcome had already been decided.
The moment chaos broke out in the hall, the patriarch had wasted no time fleeing. He knew whoever was behind this ruthless infiltration of the Holy Land was no amateur.
In fact, ever since CP4 had been annihilated, he had begun making preparations.
CP4 had long operated in secrecy, carrying out covert assassinations. Iggy was the only known survivor of their missions.
The trail of vengeance had become increasingly clear.
The patriarch, a man who had once lived through the days of Rocks, Roger, and the Golden Lion, had weathered countless storms.
Experienced and deeply cautious, he had pressured the Five Elders to act.
He mobilized the government's strongest intelligence group—CP9. The agents were pulled from missions and placed on standby for his protection.
Now, with CP9 at his side, the trap had been sprung.
"You really think this ends with me?" Iggy's voice was calm.
Gone was the hot-headed youth. He now stood as a focused avenger, cold and calculating.
He assessed the situation carefully. He couldn't take on CP9 in a frontal assault. He had already taken down CP4 and wiped out the Thorn family—that was just the first stage of his revenge.
Dying now would mean letting the Draco Patriarch escape justice.
He had to survive—regroup, rebuild, and finish this war in the heart of the Holy Land.
"Shigan—Flying Finger Gun!"
Without warning, Iggy struck first, launching an air projectile straight toward the patriarch.
It cut through the air with incredible speed. The patriarch barely had time to react before a figure leapt in front of him.
Fukurou twisted midair and blocked the blow. The attack struck him full force—blood splattered across the floor.
He hit the ground hard, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Still, he stood, brushing himself off.
"Power level… 6000. Chapapapa…"
He stared at Iggy in disbelief, mouth agape. The lock on his lips twisted in confusion.
"6000?!"
"Are you sure?"
"That's 2,000 higher than Lucci!"
The CP9 agents ignored the patriarch's safety for a moment, whispering among themselves in shock.
From a distance, Iggy smirked at their reactions, but the exchange also gave him a rough idea of their strength.
The "Power Level" was a numerical evaluation used by intelligence groups to measure combat capability.
It didn't tell the whole story, but it was a solid reference.
Iggy had awakened both Observation and Armament Haki at age ten, trained directly under Vice Admiral Garp, and mastered the Navy's Six Powers.
His physical stats were naturally monstrous.
"Stop the nonsense! He's a threat to the entire Navy—kill him now!"
The Draco Patriarch's face twisted with rage. Spandam, always quick to yell but slow to act, broke the silence.
Though his voice was the loudest, he kept his distance. Still, to save face, he raised his pistol and fired a shot at Iggy.
A gunshot rang out.
At that moment, Lucci turned his head, eyes gleaming with interest. He'd been waiting for an opponent worthy of his skills.
The rest of CP9 followed suit. They turned to face Iggy, entering full combat stance.
The showdown had begun.
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